The present invention relates generally to portable lights and like illuminating devices and, more particularly, to a portable illuminating device adapted for illuminating a generally flat surface, such as a page of a book, with minimal or at least reduced emission of significant light beyond the surface being illuminated.
Portable illuminating devices are well known and have various and sundry configurations and potential uses. One type of such device is commonly referred to as a book light and essentially comprises a small light weight portable light-generating lamp adapted to be attached or otherwise supported in close proximity to a book, magazine or the like being read, so as to illuminate the pages thereof. Representative examples of such book lights are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,432,042; 4,598,340; 4,680,681; 5,280,416; 5,442,528; 5,695,271; 5,921,664; Des. 414,574; 6,022,119; and 6,213,618. Typically, such devices are intended to direct a targeted beam of light only at the reading material so as to minimize or avoid altogether inconveniencing or bothering others. Thus, one use promoted for such book lights is for reading in bed without the necessity of utilizing a table lamp so as to avoid interfering with a partner's ability to sleep.
While such book lights are generally effective for such purpose, the known devices are still inconvenient in that the light, although of lesser lumens than table lamps, still is emitted in an undiffused manner and may still bother others in the vicinity. Attaching the devices to books or magazines is also sometimes inconvenient and unwieldy despite the small size and light weight of such devices.